WO George P. Hill of Newport News and his crew of seven aboard the Army tugboat "Li'L Grunt" are now known as the Saigon River.

Hill and his crew "work, eat and sleep" on the 65-foot tugboat 24-hour a day.

Affectionately named by the men of the 5th Transportation Heavy Boat Company, “Li'L Grunt” boasts a 600-horsepower engine which keeps her traveling an average of 2,250 nautical miles a month.

She is one of 21 tug boats that operate from the ammunition complex at Cat Lai to the crowded harbor of Saigon and through the perilous waterways the Rung Sat to Vung Tau.

In addition to booking and un-docking deep draft vessels and working the ammunition off-loading complex from Cat Lai to Cogido, the "Li'l Grunt" and her crew have a firefighting capability which they have used on numerous occasions.

In a recent rocket and mortar attack on Nha Be, the Viet Cong started an oil fire that raged out of control in the dock area where hundreds of oil drums were stockpiled.

The "Li'l Grunt" rushed to the scene and along with other tugs working in the area brought her water hoses to bear on the flaming dock. Several crewmen were overcome by smoke and heat.

For their actions at Nha Be, the crew of the "Li'l Grunt" was recommended for the Army Commendation Medal.

The Viet Cong isn't the only problem Hill and his crew face on the waterways.

“Another problem we have is with the small Vietnamese craft in Saigon harbor," he said. "Sometimes it is difficult to keep from ramming into them."

Major James D. Lester of Virginia Beach, chief of the marine services division, said, "The Saigon River is one of the most dangerous rivers in the world. The tide comes in and out at 10 knots, and when it joins forces with the wind, the rain and the ever-shifting sandbars, we have a real problem."

On the other hand, the skippers of the tugs know their jobs and do them well, according to Major Lester. "Many of them come to us with no experience in tug handling at all," he said. "In Vietnam they learn in a hurry."

Spec. 4 Bill Potts, the cook aboard "Li'l Grunt," was asked about life on the Saigon River. "We all have a bit of Huckleberry Finn spirit in us," he said "Sure, there are problems and dangers involved in this type of work, but more than enough good things make up for the bad. I wouldn't trade this job for any other in Vietnam."